Landscaping with the Earth in Mind

Practically Perfect Perennials

For Mother’s Day we ordered a few plant packages from High Country Gardens and the whole family has been busy prepping garden beds and getting the new perennials planted. The plants arrived in various boxes which we sorted through based on where we wanted them – High Country Gardens also sends layout options with planting maps and info on each plant to help you select the best location for them in your yard. We started by amending the soil in a few areas and building up beds, adding a mix of top soil and organic compost. Then we laid out the plants, making adjustments and swapping them around until each one was in the perfect spot. After digging a hole for each plant we would add a few handfuls of compost and a spoonful of re-mineralizing plant booster, then break up the roots of the plant a bit and secure it in its new home. Before giving them all a good soak we added a layer of bark and wood mulch to retain moisture and reduce weeds.

The plans that High Country sent are easily adaptable to various yard areas of all shapes and sizes – we chose to follow our own design and added plants into existing garden beds. Many of the perennials and shrubs will grow a lot in the next few seasons so the beds may feel a bit empty at first. We bought and spread a wildflower seed mix in some of the bare areas between plants. Here’s a list of some of the plant collections we put in: